T2 - Celebrating 50 Years of Coolness

With the T2, we celebrate 50 years of coolness. It is the small, but mighty giant in Danfoss' cooling product portfolio, and since 1966 it has been keeping it cool all around the world.

In March 2016, the T2 expansion valve turned 50 years old, and, concurrently, Danfoss set a milestone record when the 50 millionth T2 valve rolled down the production line in Danfoss' production facilities in Nordborg, Denmark.

Every day millions of people depend on the T2 valve from Danfoss without knowing it. Well-hidden to the naked eye, the valve is the heart of countless refrigeration systems across the world ensuring proper cooling of food and indoor comfort. Through the past 50 years, the innovative T2 valve has stood the test of time, and remains the single highest produced expansion valve for Danfoss.

Senior Vice President in Automatic Controls in Danfoss, Stephen Gugliotta, explains why the small T2 valve is such a mighty giant to Danfoss:

"In the years since its initial release, the T2 has proven to be a game-changer for Danfoss attributed to its massive success in the market. It continues to be sold worldwide for use in a variety of refrigeration and air conditioning applications. Throughout its long lifetime, many competitors have tried to copy it. However, no valve has surpassed or outperformed the Danfoss T2, which is expected to enjoy continued market success for years to come".

Innovation from the core: T2 has paved the wayWith the T2's long history as a safe and reliable choice for Danfoss customers, it has served as the foundation for further expansion valve innovation. The TU expansion valve, launched in 1995, was the first of its kind made of stainless steel. Continuing with this trend, later this year Danfoss will launch the first ever hermetic stainless steel electronic expansion valve, the ETS Colibri®, targeted for use in air conditioning applications where the need for improved energy efficiency is ever increasing.

Measurable energy savings – could power Argentina for over a yearThe T2 has a proven track record as one of the most energy-efficient solutions the market has to offer. It has only needed a few modifications over the years in order to remain compliant with changing environmental demands, and in 50 years the T2 valve alone has saved approximately 157,000 GWh in the thousands of applications where it has been installed. To put this in perspective, the energy saved could power Italy for six months, Denmark for nearly a year or Argentina for over a year.

"After 50 years, the T2 valve still remains a fundamental part of the expansion valve program, and has held its position of superiority in the market because energy efficiency, quality and reliability have always been top priorities for Danfoss," concludes Stephen Gugliotta.

Did You Know?

Visit from King Olav of Norway and Queen Margrethe of Denmark in 1974 – prominent guests have visited the production line of T2 in its home in Nordborg over the years, and especially with the investment in a fully automatic production line in 1994, the factory hall L3 continued to be a showcase for customers and companies from other industries for how production can be set up.

Due to environmental requirements in the 1980s, the search for new material to use as ballast was on. Not an easy task to find a suitable replacement for asbestos – and creativity in the minds of the people around the T2 led to a solution that was found outside of work: Moler bricks – left over from Jørgen Trelles remodeling of his home. Jørgen Trelle explains:

“The bricks had been saved in case they could be reused. One of the bricks was cut into suitable pieces and mounted as thermal ballast in a few T2 valves that were entrusted to Decovski for testing. The next day, Decovski beamed like a little sun. The valves functioned almost as the valves with asbestos ballast and after some minor changes, a satisfactory function was achieved. “

The T2 is the third generation expansion valve at Danfoss. The first was developed in 1933 by the founder Mads Clausen. Knud G. Hein was the man behind the first T2 valve from Danfoss. He worked on it for years and years, and luckily the management showed him the patience and trust to continue paying so much attention to detail. The valve that was introduced in 1966 was really a masterpiece.